Carlisle V Hartlepool at Brunton Park : Match Preview

23 December 2012 04:01

Carlisle will be without striker Joe Garner for their home clash with rock-bottom Hartlepool on Boxing Day.

The striker has returned to parent club Watford, and would have missed Saturday's game at fellow npower League One strugglers Scunthorpe which fell victim to the weather.

Danny Cadamarteri and teenager Mark Beck are vying for a recall to the starting line-up alongside Lee Miller.

Miller only returned from a five-month injury lay-off due to hernia and ankle injuries in the Cumbrians' last outing, a 2-1 defeat at Shrewsbury, but manager Greg Abbott is confident that the player will be okay to continue.

Defender Valentin Gjokaj has been recalled by parent club Derby and Peter Murphy is still recovering from a hernia operation, so Mike Edwards and Danny Livesey are expected to continue as the centre-half pairing.

Midfielder James Berrett is continuing his rehabilitation from a groin problem, which has kept him sidelined for the last three matches and striker Rory Loy is still out with a broken leg.

Saturday's postponement at Glanford Park, caused by a waterlogged pitch, kept United in 20th place. They are seeking to halt a poor run of three straight defeats.

Hartlepool boss John Hughes hopes to have a quartet of players back from injury.

Midfielders Nathan Luscombe (knee) and Simon Walton (hamstring), plus defender Peter Hartley (conjunctivitis) had returned to training prior to Saturday's scheduled home fixture against Portsmouth which was called off because of a waterlogged pitch.

Defender Evan Horwood is also expected to be back in contention after being forced off with a groin injury early in Hartlepool's last match, a defeat at MK Dons.

The extra few days on the training pitch should see all four available for selection at Brunton Park, as Hughes goes looking for his first win in charge of the club after replacing Neale Cooper in mid-November.

Hughes has lost four and drawn one of his first five games at the helm, as Pools remain rock-bottom of npower League One with just nine points from 22 fixtures.

Striker Luke James should return to the squad following a bout of tonsillitis, but goalkeeper Andy Rafferty remains a long-term absentee following his summer knee operation.